Contributions
617 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUnited Kingdom Government-Northern Ireland Executive Joint BoardMy Lords, I echo the sentiments expressed by my noble friend Lord Lexden about the joint UK Government-Northern Ireland Executive board, the establishment of which I very strongly…16 Mar 2020HANSARDRepublic of Ireland: General Election ResultsMy Lords, the comments of the Garda commissioner, to which my noble friend referred, were based on an assessment carried out in 2015 by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and…12 Mar 2020HANSARDFlybeMy Lords, as a regular user of Flybe services from Belfast over many years, I too am deeply saddened by and concerned about today’s announcement. The impact on Northern Ireland…05 Mar 2020HANSARDEU: Future RelationshipMy Lords, I warmly welcome my noble friend to his place on the Front Bench. Can he assure the House that, in the negotiations, the highest priority will be given to delivering on…27 Feb 2020HANSARDReferendumsMy Lords, I express considerable sympathy with the sentiments expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Soley, about referendums. I have long held considerable doubts about using a 50+1…12 Feb 2020HANSARDNorthern Ireland Executive FormationMy Lords, as somebody who spent the best part of two and a half years working on this agreement, I warmly welcome the Government’s Statement today and congratulate them on their…16 Jan 2020HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, as a number of noble Lords have acknowledged in the House today, the gracious Speech states: “The integrity and prosperity of the United Kingdom is of the utmost…08 Jan 2020HANSARDNorthern Ireland Budget BillThe noble Lord will be aware that one of the reasons that Governments are reluctant to take decision-making powers is the reaction of nationalist parties within Northern Ireland.…31 Oct 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019: Section 3(5)My noble friend has mentioned two issues. I raise a third: the sustainability of institutions, so that we cannot go back to a situation whereby one party can pull down the whole…28 Oct 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland: Devolved GovernmentMy noble friend has very clearly expressed the deeply held and legitimate concerns shared by a number of unionists right across this United Kingdom about aspects of the withdrawal…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHistorical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Bill [HL]My Lords, as has been made clear during the debate so far, this is hugely important legislation for a great many people in Northern Ireland, in particular those many young and…28 Oct 2019HANSARDBrexit: PreparationsMy Lords, I welcome what my noble friend said about decision-making powers in Northern Ireland, which a number of us raised with him a fortnight ago. Can he confirm that while…21 Oct 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019: Section 3(5)Before an Executive can be formed, the first item of business is the election of a Speaker, as the noble Lord well knows, having served in that position himself. There is…17 Oct 2019HANSARDBrexit: PreparationsMy Lords, as somebody who has just finished a nine-year stint as an adviser in the Northern Ireland Office, I lend my support to the comments of my noble friend Lord Bridges and…08 Oct 2019HANSARDBrexit: NegotiationsMy Lords, I return to the issue of democratic consent of the Assembly and Executive in respect of regulatory alignment. A number of noble Lords have raised this issue. It is…03 Oct 2019HANSARDUpdate to ParliamentMy Lords, my noble friend referred to alternative arrangements in Northern Ireland. She will be aware that there has been some speculation in recent days and weeks, particularly…25 Sept 2019HANSARDReport Pursuant to Sections 3(1), 3(6), 3(7), 3(8), 3(9) and 3(10) the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019My Lords, it is a great honour and privilege to finally make my maiden speech as a Conservative and Unionist Member of this great House. I say “finally” because, despite taking my…09 Sept 2019